Out of Time
by Sarah36396
Summary: When Clint is accused of murder and treason, what will he do? Will he be able to clear his name, or will he die trying? And will his partner become more than just that? Suck at summaries. Clint/Natasha. Blackwidow/Hawkeye. Rated for language. Story is complete! Thanks for reading and drop a review!
1. Do or Die

**Another story I thought up. I am working on Learning To Share as well, but I don't have a lot of time to write lately. So excuse the slow updates. This will probably only be a few chapters long. Drop a review.  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.  
**

Natasha sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, starring up at the ceiling fan. Her thoughts were clouded and she was beginning to become quite stressed. It had been a long day, way longer than she had intended it to be. S.H.I.E.L.D had reported the entire Avengers team on lock down. They weren't to leave their current locations without a severe penalty. For Natasha that meant she had been stuck inside her apartment all day and it was driving her crazy. She had spent the better part of the day pacing, trying to figure out what was going on.

"We've been breached. One of your team has breached our inner defenses- from this moment on they are a wanted fugitive. You are to remain exactly where you are until further notice. We lost several men in a squall." Fury's word stuck in her head, constantly nagging at her. What had happened? Who would have done something like that? And who were the several men? She didn't like it, but she found herself worrying about Clint. God knows he was the type of guy to throw himself into the middle and try to help out, even if it wasn't practical.

She growled under her breath as she rolled out of bed, heading into the kitchen. She was wanted answers, but no one would give her any. They just kept telling her to wait and stay put. Somehow they had managed to block all lines of communications, so she really was alone. After pouring herself a cup of coffee Natasha sat on the couch, checking her watch. It was four a.m, yet she was still wide awake. She hated not knowing things. She jumped as her phone beeped and she anxiously snatched it up, hoping for it to be some form of information. Instead the low battery warning flashed and she considered hurling it across the room.

"Hell fire," she said aloud, sitting her coffee down harder than necessary. The brown liquid nearly sloshed over the side and she raked a hand through her hair. This was going to drive her mad.

Suddenly a light knock made her whip around, her eyes narrowing. Who in the hell would be at her door at this hour? She knew she shouldn't answer it, but she was tired of being told what to do. She grabbed her gun from it's secret compartment under her desk before tucking it into her waist band, heading towards the door. The knocking became more urgent and she hesitated before opening it. She froze, not moving.

"Oh my god," she managed weakly, examining the sight before her. A trail of blood ran from the elevator to her door where it continued to drop from the source. Natasha instantly yanked Clint inside, shutting the door behind her and latching it. "What in the world happened?" She asked, gaping at the large hole in his side.

"S.H.I.E.L.D, breached," he managed in between gasp. "Been running all night." The last statement made her narrow her eyes and put her on edge, but now wasn't the time for questions. Even if he wanted for some reason, she wasn't about to let him bleed to death.

"Here," she led him into the kitchen, grabbing the nearest towel and pressing it against the wound. "God, Clint," she frowned as blood soaked the towel. There was no way to get the shirt over his head without causing more damage, so she grabbed a knife, easily cutting it off of him.

"That was my last good shirt," he managed.

"Oh, shut up," she rolled her eyes, pressing the towel to the wound once more. "Keep that there, ok? I'll be right back."

Natasha went into the bathroom, rummaging through the cabinets as her brain reeled. If Clint had tried to help, why was he running? And how had he got shot? Unless...But no, surely not. Clint wouldn't do that...She shook her head, clearing the thoughts as she took her medicine kit back to the kitchen. Clint was slumped against the counter, pressing the towel to his side as he continued to try to gain control over his breathing.

"Bullet still in there?" She asked.

"Dug it out," he said weakly. "Made things worse."

"Obviously," she sighed, pouring some alcohol onto a rag. He cursed as she squeezed it onto the wound, his muscles jerking violently. "Take it easy," she dabbed the rest of the blood away before pressing several large gauze pads to the area.

"Nurse Natasha," he said with a slight smile.

"Now is not really the time to joke," she rolled her eyes as she began to steadily wrap his ribs with the medical tape.

"Better than thinking about how bad it hurts," he flinched as she tugged a bit too hard.

"Sorry," she frowned.

"You're fine," he ground his teeth, waiting for her to finish.

Natasha stepped back as she finished, examining her handy work. It wasn't professional, but it would do. At least it would stop the bleed. She grabbed a glass of water and handed it to him before leaning against the counter, crossing her arms. It was time for some answers.

"Thanks," he took a long drink, sighing as he rinsed the blood from his hands.

"I wouldn't thank me yet. What is going on, Clint?"

"I don't want to get your involved anymore than you already are. Just let me rest for an hour, then I will leave."

"Oh, bull crap," she rolled her eyes. "I want answers. You show up at my door at four in the morning, after we were put on lock down, a bullet hole in your side, and bleeding like crazy. You can't expect me to just watch you leave without asking questions."

Clint sighed, running a hand through his hair, watching her with grey eyes. He trusted her, but he really didn't want her involved. They had always been partners and he knew she would die before letting him walk away once she found out what was going on. He didn't want to lead her into what could be the end of both of them.

"Tasha, I messed up," he began.

"You killed those men?" She asked without any emotion.

"No! God, no."

"Then what in the hell is going on?"

"I was working undercover for Fury on a special project. A group of men higher up in the organization were thought to be planning something. I went in and everything seemed normal, but then I found out one of them was a Russian Super spy. He had no idea who I was, but he had his suspicions. So one day I was called down to the front desk. No one was there for me, so I ran back as fast as I could, but it was too late. I could tell someone had been in my brief case. I was on alert then, I was afraid he might go after one of the team. But instead he waited until he had me alone with a few other men on our "board." He shot them all, killing them. He knocked me out and shot me once with his gun, then left me there. He shot himself in the leg using my backup gun, then went to Furry telling them I had turned against them all, that I was selling them out to terrorist. Of course they believed him- I had been in the middle of a blood bath and all the evidence pointed towards me. They wouldn't even listen- Furry but a bounty on my head and ordered a lock down. I've been running ever since. I was in the neighborhood and I didn't want to bleed to death, but I couldn't just go to a hospital. So I stopped here," he finished, looking up to meet her eyes.

Natasha watched him quietly, letting his story sink in. He could have been lying, but she knew he wasn't. He had never been able to lie to her, no matter how hard he tried. She always saw through him. Without saying a word she walked to her room, grabbing a backpack.

"What are you doing?" He frowned. "If you want to turn me in all I have to do is go outside."

"You seriously think I would turn you in?" She turned around to frown at him.

"No?" It was a question.

"Oh, whatever," she huffed before cramming clothes into the bag. "Go look in that bottom drawer, you have stuff in there you've left," she said, blushing a little. It had been two years since the battle in New York and yet she still had stuff he had left when he needed a place to stay, a place to talk.

"Ok," he dug around, finding a few pairs of pants and a couple of t-shirts. "I have the rest of my stuff in my bag in the kitchen."

"I didn't even notice you had a bag," Natasha sighed as she packed a few other thing.

"You aren't coming," he realized what she was doing.

"And who's going to stop me? You?" She cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, I am. I am NOT dragging you into this, Tasha. Please don't."

"Clint," she sighed. "You are my best friend. I am not going to let you run around and get yourself killed. We'll find a way to clear your name, but in the meantime we have to get you out of here," she zipped the bag up, adjusting it on her shoulder.

"Fine," he frowned. There was no point in arguing with her. That never ended well. He tensed as he heard pounding from the hall then heavy knocking on the door. "We have company. And Natasha, there is something else you should know," he frowned.

"What?"

"That Russian guy, he has the mafia after me too. I...might be in some pretty deep trouble," he hitched one shoulder.

"And I get to save your ass, as usual. Just like old times," she smiled slightly. "Let's get out of here."

"How?"

"Well, we obviously aren't using the door," she rolled her eyes before walking out onto the balcony. She grabbed a rope from her bag, tying it around the rail before throwing it over the side. Thankfully her apartment was only four stories up so the rope reached...barely. She readjusted her bag before climbing over the rail and easing herself down. "Do NOT fall on me," She said suddenly as he began lowering himself just a few feet above her.

"I won't."

"And try not to strain your side too much."

"Thank you, mom," he said sarcastically.

"You are so welcome," she hissed. Her feet finally hit the ground and she crept along the back alley towards the parking garage. Clint followed, keeping up remarkably well for someone with a hole the size of a golf ball in his side. They made it to the red sports car and both jumped inside. Natasha took a deep breath she drove down towards the exit-she had already caught sight of what was waiting for them.

"Stop!" Barked someone from the line of soldiers in front of them. They lined the entire exit, complete with riot shields and machine guns.

"No can do," she muttered under her breath. "Put your head down," she ordered.

"What?" Clint frowned.

"Put your head down!" She revved the engine, heading straight towards them.

"Open fire!"

A roar shook the garage as the men opened fire on them, but Natasha kept her foot on the pedal. It was do or die time. Bullets sprayed the car, taking off a mirror, but she kept going. They were either about to begin there journey, or die trying.

**Chapter 2 coming asap :) Enjoy. Please leave a review.**


	2. The Challange

**Chapter 2. Having fun writing this one! Thank you for the reviews, keep them coming! :) Should be another update tomorrow. Enjoy.  
**

"Holy hell!" Clint ducked down, bullets whizzing past his ears as Natasha fish tailed onto the street, shoving the gear shift forward as she tore down the street. The speedometer reached a hundred as she dangerously weaved through traffic, trying to out run the vehicles behind them.

"I could use some help," she muttered to him, yanking the wheel and taking a sharp corner right as a bullet embedded itself in the radio.

"Right," he reached back to grab his backpack, pulling his bow out and quiver out. He snapped it into attention, loading an arrow. They were on a straight street now, no turns in sight for the next several miles. He would have a clear shot, but so would they.

"Hang on," she pushed the gas pedal all the way down, the car tearing down the street at blinding speeds. Clint put the bow up, grimacing as the strain of pulling the arrow back made his side burn. He took a deep breath before letting the arrow fly. It embedded itself in the front tire of one of the SUVs, causing the car to swerve. It ran up onto the sidewalk before flipping over, crashing into the back of a building.

"One down six to go," he smirked, notching another arrow.

Natasha swerved sharply as another bullet whizzed past her ear- she could feel the air off of it. She frowned as she noticed the bridge in front of them slowly beginning to rise. "Clint, we might have a problem."

"Oh hell," he frowned, spinning back around to embedded an arrow in the grill of another vehicle. There was a pause before an explosion ripped through the SUV, flipping it onto it's back. Another smashed into it, the men scrambling out as the tried to avoid the flames. "Four left, not enough time to get them all. Go far it," he yelled, ducking inside the car. "Ever done this before?"

"Nope," she gripped the steering wheel tightly as the tires hit the beginning of the bridge. It was raised at a 45 degree angle now, the perfect ramp. "Here goes nothing," she muttered as the tires left the still rising bridge. Two of the other SUVs squealed to a halt as they red car flew over the water.

"We aren't going to make it!"

"Yes we are!" Natasha was jostled as the car slammed onto the road once more, zipping down the bridge and onto the highway. Clint looked over his shoulder to see the last SUV slam into the edge of the bridge, nearly ripping it in half. He let out a deep breath before falling against the seat once more, clutching his side. He pulled his hand away to find the blood soaking the side of his short once again.

"I'm bleeding again," he frowned.

"Keep pressure on it," Natasha ordered, weaving through more traffic. "I'll take a better look at it when we get somewhere safe."

"They know you are helping me now," he sighed.

She just shrugged, keeping her eyes on the road. The hours melted by as they left New York, cutting across Pennsylvania and into Ohio. Clint had been silent for most of the ride, fading in and out of sleep. Natasha worried about him, considering he had lost a fair amount of blood. They might've been tough, but they weren't immortal. With a sigh she pulled onto a side road, following it deeper into the country.

"Where are we going," Clint finally spoke.

"I have safe houses all over the world. One just happens to be a farm house," she commented absently, turning onto a even narrower road. They were both jostled by the bumps in the road, the car making sounds of protest. It finally rolled to a halt, giving one last groan as it completely died.

"Amazing timing," Clint chuckled, climbing out of the car. "Isn't too far of a walk from here, right?"

"No, just over that hill," she pointed, grabbing her own bag.

"Good," he frowned, stumbling slightly.

"Easy," she placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "Here," she pulled his arm across her shoulder, supporting some of his weight.

"I'll be fine," he tried to protest.

"No, you won't. Come on," they began the slow walk down the road. They finally made it over the hill and Clint let out a sigh of relief as the house came into view.

Natasha helped him ease into a rocking chair on the porch before walking over to the door. She pulled a panel back, punching in a code. The wooden door slid aside, revealing a metal door with another keypad. She punched in some more numbers before it slid open. She went inside the house, flipping on lights as she went. Clint went inside, the door sliding shut behind him. He heard a bolt fall into place as he sat on the couch, groaning. His side was throbbing now, feeling like it was on fire.

"Come here," he heard Natasha call. He forced himself up, falling the sound of his voice. She stood in one of the bedrooms, her arms crossed. "Take the shirt off and lie down," she ordered, rummaging through the bag for the rest of her supplies. Clint did as he was told, stretching out on his back with a slight groan.

Natasha gave his torso a appreciative once over before sitting down next to him, cutting the old bandages and pulling them away. She frowned at the angry red skin and the gleam of muscle that covered his ribs. She did her best to clean it out again, sighing as he jerked in pain. She hated to do it, but it was better than him getting an infection. She rewrapped his side before running a hand through her hair; she was completely satisfied, but it would have to do.

"Just rest," she went to get up but his collapsed hand closed around her wrist.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hmm?" She shifted so she could look at him once more.

"Thanks," his eyes found her and he smiled slightly.

"You're welcome," she laid a hand on his cheek. "You are warm, but maybe that will help the infection from setting in."

"I'll be fine," he laid his hand over hers and gave it a squeeze. "You'd better get some sleep too."

Natasha just nodded before standing up, biting her lip. "If you need anything, just holler," she killed the lights, quietly shutting the door. She went into the living room, making sure the steel plates were over the windows before sinking onto the couch. From the outside everything appeared normal, but it was just a fake layer. The actual house itself was made of mostly steel, so they were safe, for now. She stretched out, planning to close her eyes for a minute before going to get cleaned up. Instead she fell asleep, her mind reeling with questions and emotions.

. . . . .

Clint yawned as he peeled his eyes open, stretching the best he could. He rolled out of bed before padding into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge. There wasn't a lot but he found a box of frozen waffles so he put two of them in the toaster, leaning against the counter as he waited. He ended up lost in thought, thinking of last night and the events of the last few days. When the toaster finally popped he jumped, hitting his elbow on the counter.

"Dammit!"

"Scared of a toaster huh?" Natasha smiled slightly as she entered the kitchen, running a towel through her hair. She had showered and changed into a pair of sweats that hid her normally curvy figure.

"No, just thinking," he rubbed his elbow before slapping the two waffles onto a plate, pouring some syrup on them before cutting a bit off. Natasha shook her head, pouring herself a cup of coffee before sitting down at the table, stifling a yawn. "Sleep ok?"

"Best I could. There was a lot on my mind," she admitted. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Stiff. But it isn't hurting as much."

"Good," she took a long drink. "We can stay here a few days, until we figure out some kind of plan. But then we need to get moving. It isn't a good idea to stay in one spot too long."

Clint nodded in agreement, finishing off his waffles in silence. He finally laid his fork down, looking up at her, a devilishly glint in his eye. "I have an idea, I think. But it is risky. Really risky."

"That sounds like a typical Clint Barton plan," she smiled. "Let's hear it."

"I was thinking- We could gather as much information on this guy that we can. Then if we could get into the S.H.I.E.L.D data bases for a few minutes, I could enter Russian spy's information and he would come up as a threat. Then they can arrest him and look into things. Hopefully that would throw some suspicion off me and I could talk to Fury without getting my head blown off. Or at least that's how I hope it will work."

"How are we going to gather information on this guy?"

"Infiltrate the Russian Mafia, of course."

"You say that like it is easy."

"Who says it has to be hard? Should be a piece of cake, especially for a Russian Model like yourself," he let the suggestion hang in the air.

"It isn't a bad idea...it could definitely work," she sighed. "But as far as the Data bases go, to do that we'd have to be in the control room. That is the only way."

"Exactly," he grinned impishly.

"You aren't seriously considering..."

"Yes, I am. We are going to break into the S.H.I.E.L.D headquarters."

Natasha leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as she looked at him. He was absolutely crazy. Any normal agent would have quit right there, but they were an odd pair. She knew she would follow him anyway, even if it was into something as crazy as breaking into one of the most secure places in the world. With a sigh she got up, stretching.

"Well," she began. "I always did like a challenge."

**Chapter 3 coming tomorrow, leave a review. Thanks for reading! **


	3. Russia

**Chapter 3. Enjoy. Thanks for all the reviews, keep them coming! Another update SHOULD be up tomorrow. Oh, and another thing. I know absolutely nothing about Russia, or the Mafia, except what I have seen on Criminal Mines and in various movies. So please bear with me.  
**

Natasha let out a long sigh as Clint pinned her against the wall, his breath tickling her ear. His hands were planted on the wall on either side of her shoulders, his face inches from her. She laid a hand on his bare torso before letting it drop to his side, gingerly touching the angry red spot.

"Don't think about that," he murmured, skimming his nose along her jaw. "It is over and done."

"Still," she bent her neck back slightly as he placed a kiss there.

"No, no "stills". Everything will be ok, promise," he smiled before kissing her gently, his hands splaying out at her hips. She didn't hesitate to kiss him back, her arms going around his neck. She played with the hair on nape, keeping her eyes on his. She continued to kiss him until she was out of breath, dropping her head to his shoulder as he rubbed circles on her sides, planting kisses along her jaw. She finally looked up to meet his gaze once more and he smiled.

"I love you," he said softly.

Natasha bolted upright, her breathing rapid as she blinked, her gaze swinging around the room. It had been a dream...just a dream. She let out a whoosh of air before falling back against the mattress, casting a sideways glance at the clock. It was six, no use in trying to go back to sleep. She rolled out of bed, padding into the kitchen as she mulled the dream over.

After pouring herself a cup of coffee she leaned against the counter, taking a long drink. She wasn't sure where the dream had come from- she didn't exactly fantasize about her partner. But she had found him on her mind more and more frequently, and she wasn't sure she liked that. She sat her coffee down with a frown as she realized she had wanted that to be real.

"I am loosing my mind," she said to herself.

"Better put it on a leash," Clint said as he entered the kitchen, yawning. His sweats covered his lower body, but his torso was bare, leaving Natasha a nice view.

"Wish it was that easy," she sighed.

"What's up?" He asked, rummaging through the fridge and pulling out an apple.

"Couldn't sleep."

"Bad dream?" He took a bite, munching on it contently.

"You could say that," she fought to keep her composure. "What are you doing up?"

"Munchies," he held up the apple as proof, taking another bite before tossing it to her. She caught it and took her own bite, nibbling around the edges. "Want to talk about your dream?"

"No!" She answered to quickly, nearly choking on bits of apple. "No," she repeated more slowly, handing the apple back to him. His fingers brushed hers and she jumped, her elbow nearly knocking her coffee over.

"That bad huh?" He cocked an eyebrow, tossing the core into the trash.

"Yeah, I guess," she turned to look out the window. "I've arranged a plane out of the country for this afternoon, so we need to leave pretty early."

"Alright. You sure everything is ok Tasha?" Clint walked over, lying his hands on either side of her and propping his chin on her shoulder.

"I am fine," she lied with a smile, turning around so she was standing in between his arms, facing him. "Side feel ok this morning?"

"Yeah, a lot better," his eyes never left hers and it made her nervous.

"Good, it will be easier to travel," she ducked under his arm, going to her room to pack.

.

.

"Hey," Clint gently shook Natasha's shoulder.

"Huh?" She blinked a few times, yawning.

"We are here," he couldn't help but chuckle. "Someone was up to early."

"Oh, shut up," she smacked him on the arm before grabbing her bag and the duo made their way off the plane. "Home sweet home," Natasha muttered under her breath.

"Lucky for us you know everybody in Russia, right?" He teased.

"Almost everybody," she corrected with a smile. "But I have worked against the mafia enough to know what we are dealing with. No playing around," she was suddenly serious. "They won't show any mercy or compassion, even to a fellow Russian. Keep your head down and DO NOT do anything stupid."

"Yes ma'am," he saluted, winking at her. She just sighed before sliding into the rental car, waiting for Clint to get inside. He tossed their bags into the trunk before getting it, buckling his seat belt. "So where are we headed first?"

"The Saint Bells Hotel. It is about two blocks from their base of operations. What we are going to be looking for is two file cabinets. They will be in a room in the middle of the building, where security is thickest. I might have an idea to get us inside, but it's been a while since I've been in the building," she sighed.

"Well, someone knows their stuff."

"What did you think I did when I was over here? Lay on a nudist beach somewhere and sun tan?"

"The thought crossed my mind," he gave her a devilishly smile. Natasha rolled her eyes, focusing on the road and choosing to ignore his comment. Just because he imagined her naked did not mean he had any other feelings towards her.

Natasha sighed as she pulled into the parking garage, parking on the bottom level just in case they needed a quick get away. She grabbed her bag before heading towards the elevator, Clint in pursuit.

"Are you mad at me?" He asked, trying to break her silence.

"No, why?"

"You've been awfully quiet."

"Oh, just thinking." She shrugged.

"Thinking about what?"

"Does it really matter?" She frowned.

"Yes, it does to me."

"I'll tell you later. Maybe," she stepped into the lobby, heading straight for the desk.

"Ah, Ms. Romanoff, good to see you," a man with a heavy accident gave her a slight bow. "Your usual room?"

"Yes, please," she smiled kindly. "Just put in on my tab for now, I am in a hurry."

"That I will. Please enjoy your stay," he handed over a gold room key card.

"You are pretty well known in these parts huh?" Clint raised an eyebrow.

"You could say that," she smiled, once again stepping onto the elevator.

They rode up to the top floor in silence, Clint picking at the edge of his nail. When they elevator stopped they stepped off and he followed Natasha down the hall to two double oak doors. She slid her room card into the slow before pushing one open, letting Clint go in before her. His jaw nearly dropped as he entered the room and he let out a low whistle.

A half circle of couches surrounded a giant flat screen, complete with an entertainment center. There was a full functional kitchen to his left, as well as a dinning room. The walls were complete with surround sound speakers and various paintings. He opened one door, finding a bathtub that took up half the room. Another door lead to a smaller bathroom with a shower. He stopped at the last, knowing it would be her bedroom.

"This is amazing."

"My home away from home. It is exclusively mine," she smiled. "Make yourself at home, you know where the kitchen is. Bedroom is in that last door," she pointed. "Just don't mess up my closet," she glared.

"Alright," he chuckled. "Any other orders?" Clint asked, flopping onto the couch and snatching the remote up. "Oh man, an Xbox," he grinned. "Stark would be so jealous."

"I'm sure he would. But, relax and rest. Tomorrow, we start the dirty work. And one last thing?"

"What?"

"Be sure to put the toilet lid down," she said with a smile, heading towards the bathroom. Clint chuckled before flipping the Xbox on. An order was an order, and he planned on following it. After all, he needed a chance to kick back and relax. Plus he hadn't played any video games in forever.

"I'll try," he smirked, grabbing the game controller. "I will definitely try."

**Thanks for reading, drop a review. Chapter 4 should be up tomorrow! **


	4. End of the Road

**Chapter 4. Enjoy yourselves. Thinking about leaving this chapter in a cliff hanger :D But we shall see. Thanks for the reviews and reads, keep 'em coming!  
**

Clint rubbed his eyes sleepily, blinking a few times as his vision cleared. He looked around the room, sure he had heard something. He sat up and grabbed his shirt, pulling it over his head before standing up and stretching. A glance at the clock let him know it was two in the morning. He frowned as he heard another scream coming from Natasha's room. He quietly walked towards the door, opening it without a sound.

Natasha laid writhing on the bed, obviously having a bad dream. She let out a smaller cry as her body jerk and Clint sighed. Even the best of them had bad dreams. He quietly walked over to the bed, stretching out beside her. He caught her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Tasha," he said under his breath. She stilled, her breathing slowly becoming more even. He would probably catch hell for this in the morning, but he wasn't about to watch her suffer. He closed his own eyes, keeping his hand laced through hers.

He was nearly asleep when he he felt her squeeze his hand. He opened his eyes to find her watching him, her eyes searching his face. "Thanks," She said sleepily. Clint just nodded before closing his eyes once more, using his thumb to rub circles on the back of her hand-she would have done the same for him. After all, they were a team.

.

.

Natasha peeled her eyes open with a yawn, watching Clint's face as he slept. He looked relaxed- a change from his normal serious look. She looked at their intertwined hands before gently slipping free, heading towards the bathroom. She took a quick shower and got dressed before heading into the kitchen. She could order room service, but there was no point. After tossing a frozen breakfast in the microwave she sat down on the couch, grabbing the remote.

"Morning," Clint said from behind her, stretching and yawning.

"Morning," she smiled slightly. "Foods in the microwave."

"Ah, a Russian Chef," he mocked a bow. "The microwave is very hard to use."

"Oh, shut up," she threw a pillow at him.

"No can do," he smiled. "I am going to take a shower, then I will come back and bug you."

"Oh, joy," she rolled her eyes. "Try not to drown."

"I'll try," he chuckled before heading towards the bathroom. Natasha sighed, leaning against the pillows as she flipped through the channels. It felt weird, being here with Clint. No one else had been up here, ever. It was her safe heaven. Yet Clint was here with her, acting like it was the most natural thing in the world.

She finally tossed the remote aside, getting up and walking back to the kitchen. She poured herself a glass of orange juice before taking her breakfast out and putting Clint's in. She sat the timer before sitting down at the table, waiting for the food to stop steaming. She knew she should probably be a little more on edge because of what they were about to do, but there was no point in stressing over it.

"Going to eat without me?" Clint asked, bringing his own food to the table. His hair was still stuck to his head with water.

"I didn't expect you to be done so fast," she smiled.

"I was starving," he chuckled, taking a bite. He winced as it burned his tongue and Natasha laughed.

"That's what you get."

"Not my fault you don't feed me enough," he teased, blowing on the next bite. "So what's today's game plan?"

"Well, I want to scout the place out again, but I am pretty sure the layout is the same. If so, I say we go for it. The longer we wait the longer we give them a chance to figure something out something might be up."

"Good point," he shrugged. "Sounds fine to me."

"If I said we were going to jump off a bridge naked you'd probably go along with it," she sighed.

"You're the boss woman," he smiled.

"Guess that makes you the slave then," she laughed before finishing her breakfast. "Well, let's get started."

. . . . .

"Easiest way in will be through the roof," Natasha murmured from their spot behind the dumpsters. "There will be one guard, armed, by the fire escapes. That is going to be our best shot. Once we are up, there should be two guys on the roof. There will be a hatch leading down into the warehouse, and lucky for us it passes an air duct. We get inside there then we can just drop down once we find the right room."

"Sounds like you've done this before."

"I came close," she frowned. "I barely got out. Barely. There is no room for mistakes," she warned him.

"I know that," he made sure he had his gun, the weapon feeling out of place. They would be fighting in far to close quarters for him to use a bow, so he was stuck with the gun. It made him feel out of place, but he needed a weapon.

"Ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

"Then go."

Clint nodded, crouching and moving silently across the alley. A large burly man stood in front of the fire escape, just like she had said. He pulled out a small throwing knife, making sure not to nick himself with it- it was coated in a heavy sleeping serum. He took a deep breath before hurling the knife. It hit it's mark, embedding itself in the man's thick leg. He grunted before hitting the ground, out cold.

"Nice shot," Natasha walked over to join him as they drug the man back into the alley.

"Of course it was a nice shot, I made it," he smirked.

"Someone has a big ego."

"You know it. Let's get," he jumped, catching the edge of the fire escape and pulling himself up. Natasha followed behind him, carefully not to make a sound. Clint climbed around, stealthy as a cat, as he jumped from deck to deck, never missing his target. They finally made it to the top and Clint crouched beside the ledge, waiting for Natasha.

"Two guys, right?"

"Yep. Both facing the front, so directly across from us."

"You take the one of the left."

He nodded as they both hoisted themselves over the edge, silently landing on the roof. They quietly stalked up on their pray until they were standing directly behind him. Clint nodded and Natasha stabbed the syringe full of serum in to her man, Clint doing the same. Both guys dropped like they had been hit upside the head.

"This stuff is insane," Clint muttered, tossing the empty syringe aside.

"Yeah, it is. So don't go poking yourself," she padded over to the room hatch, pulling it open. "Let's go." She began climbing down the ladder, careful not to make any sounds as her feet hit the rusty rails. Clint eased himself into the hole, hoping he wouldn't somehow step on Natasha- he would never live it down. They kept going until they were half way down and next to an air vent, just as Natasha had said. He handed her a screw driver and she undid the grill before passing it up to Clint.

He nodded to her and she eased herself into the duct, backing in so Clint could follow. He was careful not to hit the grill on anything as he backed inside, pulling the grill with him. When it was back in place he screwed it in loosely, so it could be kicked out if needed. If everything went according to plan, they would slip in unnoticed and leave the way they came.

"Toss it," Natasha whispered, positioning herself over another grill. Clint nodded once more, pulling the pin on the smoke grenade and tossing it into the ladder well. He heard it clatter down and go off, then all hell broke loose. Men started screaming in Russia and he heard several of them start up the ladder. Natasha used the noise as cover to kick the grill out, dropping into the room below. Clint dropped down beside her, pulling his gun out as they surveyed the room.

"This is?"

"Yeah," she walk over to the nearest file cabinet, pulling out a pin as she began picking the lock. Clint watched the door, just in case their distraction wore off too soon.

"Got it. What name am I looking for?"

"Last name is Yuri."

"Four files here."

"Grab them all, we don't have time to look."

"Alright," she stuffed them inside the bag on her shoulder before shutting the drawer. "Damn!"

"What?"

"They are coming through the vent," she headed for the door. "We need another way out."

"Great, we are stuck inside the Russian Mafia's base," he muttered, grabbing the door and yanking it open. It let out on a steel cat walk that ran across the top of the warehouse. Several men were below them, yelling at each other in Russia. They took their chances and began to sprint across the catwalk, heading towards the large window at the end. They were almost there when the cat walk shifted, then swung around in the complete opposite directions. "What the!" Clint grabbed onto the railing as he was nearly tossed over the side.

The catwalk continued to move until it connected two more doors. Men poured out of both of them, surrounding the pair. Clint considered jumping, but there were just as many men below them. Over a hundred guns were aimed their way, so Clint did the smart thing. He tossed his gun down in front of him, kicking it towards the Russians. He slowly raised his hands and laid them on his head- there was no way out of this one. Natasha sighed before doing the same thing, not happy at all. They had finally been caught.

A man stepped forward, yelling something in Russian. Several others raced forward, bounding Clint and Natasha's hands behind their backs. "Свяжите их крепче! если они получают от этого твоя голова!," he barked. Clint's legs were kicked out from under him and he was forced onto his knees as someone grabbed the back of his head, yanking on his hair. Natasha received the same treatment and the man looked them over with a satisfied smirk.

"Ах, двух американских крыс. Как поймать. И , как хорошо, что вы присоединитесь к нам снова."

"Идите к черту!" Natasha snapped.

"Нет, не сегодня. Сегодня мы даем вам первая поездка класса. Положите их внизу. Сегодня мы убиваем их."

Clint's head snapped up. He didn't need to speak fluent Russian to understand that one. He was going to kill them. Clint saw no way out of this situation- they had hit a dead in. For the first time, there wasn't going to be a second chance. He had done exactly what he was trying to avoid; he had just gave Natasha the death penalty.

**Chapter 5 in the works :D Sorry if the Russian bits aren't quiet correct- they were from google translate. In order, the translations are: "Tie them tight, if they get away it is your head." "Ah, two American rats, what a catch. And , how nice to see you again." "Go to hell." "No, not today. Today we give you a first class trip. Tonight, we kill them."**


	5. Need to Know

**Chapter 5. I am really getting into this! Enjoy, drop a review! This is actually going to be about 10 chapters long, I think. Shorter chapter to wrap the last one up- the next chapter WILL be longer and more action packed.  
**

Clint sat with his arms and legs bound, back to back with Natasha. He kept his head down, mentally beating himself for getting Natasha into this situation. This wasn't her battle- he never should've stopped by her house that night. Now look where they were. With a sigh he looked up at the ceiling, shooting up a silent prayer. They had already interrogated them, confirming what Clint already knew- the spy had personally interviewed him, identifying him. Any chance he had of keeping them alive was now gone. He jerked against the ropes angrily, becoming mad at himself.

Natasha felt him shift behind her and she wished he would sit still. She had almost managed to wiggle her hand on of it's restraint, but she needed the cover. If she could get them loose, there weapons were on a table across from them. A large window was to their left- their way to freedom. A guard was sitting outside their room, so she wasn't able to discuss any escape plans with him.

"Tasha," he said suddenly, under his breath.

"What?" She hissed.

"I need to tell you something. Two somethings actually."

"What?" She frowned.

"First off, I am sorry. I never should have drug you into this-"

"Clint, don't," she cut him off.

"No, let me finish. I didn't mean for you to get this involved. I thought you would let me rest for a while then let me go. But then again, somehow, I knew you would help me, and I guess that is why I stopped. I wanted your help, but I was too prideful to admit it."

"I would have found a way to help you, even if you didn't stop by. You were already on my mind," she admitted. "But it isn't your fault. We both knew the risk. It isn't like you kidnapped me or anything."

"Still," he sighed. "We are stuck here because of me. I should have just dealt with it. Because of my you are in way to deep. And the last thing...I need you to know something." She felt him take a deep breath and she finally yanked her hands free, quickly untying her feet. "I don't see a way out of this...so I want you to know something, but uh, I'm not exactly sure how to say it."

She turned around and clamped a hand over his mouth before untying him, tossing the ropes aside. He gave her a bewildered look as she snatched their guns, tossing his to him. He caught it and made sure it was loaded before turning back to her. "Saved your ass again," she muttered before grabbing one last thing from the table, stuffing it inside her bag.

"Thanks," he managed. "But that still doesn't mean we are getting out of here. Can I finish?

"No," she rolled her eyes before pushing him against the wall. "Because I already know what you are trying to say."

"And what would that be?"

She just rolled her eyes again before kissing him roughly, her arms snaking around his neck. He grunted with surprise at the force of her kiss, but he kissed her back, his gun hanging loosely by his side. She finally pulled away, giving him an amused look. "Am I on the right track?"

"Uh, yeah." He blinked a few times. He reached forward to kiss her again, raising his gun and firing a single shot at the door. It stopped opening as the man thumped to the floor.

"Time to go," Natasha said, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the window. "Do you trust me?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because we are going to jump."

"We are two stories up!"

"Do it!" She fired several shots into the window, shattering it. Men poured into the room behind them, several shots whizzing past them.

They jumped from the window, glass raining down behind them. Clint sucked in a mouthful of air just as they hit the water, sinking under the surface. Instead of kicking up he nodded to Natasha and stayed under the surface as they swan for the cover of the bridge. When the water finally darkened Clint knew they were under it, as it was blocking the sun. He broke the surface, gasping as his lungs sucked in air. Natasha submerged beside him, sucking in air.

"You ok?" He finally asked, treading water as they swam towards the bank.

"Fine," she managed.

"Well, that was pointless. I imagine they took the files back."

"Yeah, they did. But you forgot they taped our interrogation."

"So?"

"So," she said as she climbed onto the bank, pulling out a CD. "We have everything we need right here."

He let out a laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "I'd hug you if I weren't wet."

"I'm wet too," she reminded him with a smile. "But we need to keep moving. We can stop at the hotel for our stuff, then we are leaving the country. Our next stop is going to be New York. Question is, how are we going to find a way to get Fury to watch this?"

"I might have an idea," he chuckled.

"Because your ideas always end well," she teased him, squeezing the water from her hair. "After this is all over and done, you owe me dinner."

"Seriously?"

"Yes," She rolled her eyes. "I've only saved your butt countless times now. And my idea of a first date isn't sitting in the Mafias interrogation room."

"Good point," he nodded as they trekked back towards the hotel. "Thanks for saving my ass," he said slyly.

"Any time," she smiled. "It is becoming a regular habit. So what is your big plan?"

"I'll tell you later," he promised as they stepped inside the lobby, ignoring the odd looks they were receiving. "Let's get out of here."

Natasha nodded in agreement, stepping onto the elevator. She let the door close before turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck with a slight smile. "Now, since we aren't being shot out or chased, how about a proper kiss?"

"Hmm, I think I can manage that," he smiled before dipping his head to kiss her. If he died now, at least he could die a happy man. The doors slid open and they completely ignored them, temporarily lost in their own world. Natasha never would have imagined things would turn out this way, but she wasn't complaining. And she doubted Clint would complain either. Even though they were running out of time, she was going to make sure he knew how much he meant to her- even if that meant the elevator went up and down for the next half hour.

**Chapter 6 tomorrow. Should be pretty lengthy. Don't worry- the other Avengers are getting ready to make their appearances. **


	6. Compromised

**I apologize for the HUGE gap in updates! I have been so busy this month trying to prepare for my first horse show, which was Sunday. I ended up coming home with a 1st place ribbon, a 6th, a 3rd, and a Reserved Champion- so overall I'd say my hard work paid off! Now it is back to riding, until the next show draws near. So please bare with me and stick around, I promise this will be completed! This chapter will be shorter and might be a little choppy- gotta get back into practice.  
**

Clint let out a sleepy yawn as he felt the sun hit his face. He peeled his eyes open, blinking a few times as his eyes tried to adjust to the brightness. Natasha was still slumped over against the door, her red curls hiding her face. He chuckled before getting out of the car, heading for the nearest tree. They had drove through most of the night, avoiding the main roads. Around midnight they had stopped on a little back road and decided to try to sleep for a while before they reached their destination.

Natasha groaned as she blinked herself away, slowly straightening her back out. Her neck had a crick in it and her spine felt like it was permanently bent. She slid out of the car with a frown, scanning their surroundings. Her phone had no receptions and they were in the middle of nowhere. her nerves were on edge- they were getting closer to their mark and it scared her. She jumped as Clint stepped out of bushes, stretching lazily and giving her a crooked grin.

"Hey 'Tash. Sleep ok?"

"No, I feel like an old woman," she smiled slightly.

"Look like one to," he teased with a smile, stretching and sitting on the trunk of the car.

Natasha joined him,leaning her head against his shoulder as they looked out over the rolling hills. She knew that the base was nestled somewhere in between them and it meant they were one step closer to finish this mission. Clint had assured her things would be ok, but her thoughts were still on the aftermath. He said he'd stay, that he would always be there, but had he meant it?

"What's up?" He finally asked, shifting to turn his knowing gaze on her.

"Nothing, I am fine," she tried to smile but failed.

"I know you aren't," he frowned. "Want to talk about it?"

"Just stupid meaningless worries," she assured him. "What do you think Tony will say when he hears the whole story?"

"He will call us insane, then start cracking sex jokes," Clint chuckled.

"Steve has probably worried himself to death," she commented, looking back out to the hills.

"Probably," he agreed. "I guess we'd better get moving again.

"Yeah," she sucked in a big gulp of air and slowly blew it out before climbing back into the car.

Natasha continued driving in the right direction, watching Clint from the corner of her eye. His finger dances nervously on the door, taping out various patterns and rhythms. His jaw would clench then unclench and she could tell he was grinding his teeth- something was bothering him. She wanted to know what it was, but she would let it go for now. With a frown she went to turn the air up, only to find it was already on the max. She grunted before pulling off her shirt, revealing the thin white tank top underneath.

"Tasha,I enjoy the view, it isn't that hot," Clint raised an eyebrow.

"Shut up," she muttered, her stomach feeling knotty. "I feel sick."

"Are you alright?" He reached over to feel her forehead but she swatted his hand away with a glare.

"I am not a little kid Clint," she frowned, ignoring the real issue.

"Pull over. I'm not taking you into a potential battle while you are sick."

"I am not sick!"

"You just said-"

"I am nervous, ok?!" She finally snapped, staring straight ahead, her hands clenched on the steering wheel. Clint sat there, his jaw opening and closing before he reached across the seat and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Natasha Romanoff nervous? What in the world could you be nervous about?"

"Better question is what shouldn't I be nervous about," she muttered, regretting her outburst. Sure, Clint had changed her a great deal in the past month, hell, he'd been changing her since they met, but she wasn't willing to admit it, not until now.

"Natasha," he said in a low voice and she finally pulled the car to the edge of the road and stopped. She got out, slamming the door behind her and going to sit on the trunk, crossing her arms. He sighed before getting out himself, walking around to the back and leaning against the car. "What are you nervous about?" He asked softly.

"Nothing," she mumbled, looking away from him.

"Tasha," he sighed, raking a hand through his hair before standing in front of her, gently making her look at him. "You know I love you right?" A nod. "And you trust me, right?" Another nod. "Then why don't you just tell me? I am worried about you."

"I know Clint, I am sorry," She bit her lip. "I know I've said this before, but I am worried about what is going to happen after all this..What is going to happen to us. And I am worried about you. What happens if things go wrong? I am afraid of loosing you Clint," she finished, hanging her head.

"Hey," he said with a frown before pulling her into his arms, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon and that is a promise. You can't get rid of me that easy. I am a big boy, I can take care of myself. And what would happen to us?"

"I let you in close- you are closer than anyone has ever been before. I love you. And that makes me afraid. If I something happened I don't know what I'd do. If you just left...I don't think I could handle it," she fought back tears-she did NOT cry.

"I would never just leave," he said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Besides, if I did you might try to kick my ass," he added with a slight grin. "You know I love you, so don't fret, out?" He gave her a squeeze.

"Sorry," she said after a span of silence, straightening up and taking a deep breath.

"We are all human," he shrugged.

"No we aren't, not really. We are supposed to be fearless and emotionless," she frowned.

"Well, I guess we have compromised each other then," he concluded.

Natasha decided he was right, but she also decided she didn't really care- she trusted Clint and they knew each other well enough that she shouldn't have to worry. With a sigh she shook off her nerves and smiled at him before kissing him full on the mouth. "Well , I believe we have a date with S.H.I.E.L.D," she said, starting the engine once more.

"Funny, I can't get you to go out with me for Chinese, but you will willingly follow me into a death trap," he muttered, buckling his seat belt.

"What was that?"

"Nothing dear," he said in a sarcastic tone.

"Tell you what Barton- you get out asses out of this in one piece, and we will see about dinner."

"Deal," he said, a huge grin spreading across his face. It was time to set the record straight, once and for all.


	7. Don't Do This To Me

**Ready for some actions readers? Well here it comes! Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter- I wasn't sure if it would fit in alright, but I figured they needed a moment together before all hell breaks loose. Feel free to drop another review and thanks for reading!**

Natasha kept her eyes trained on the cluster of bushes that sat a hundred yards in front of her, waiting for any signs of movement. Clint had decided to scout ahead and see what entrance would be best for the to take- Of course Natasha had protested, but he had silenced her with a kiss and told her to stay put, then he was gone. Now she was crouched in the night shadows, waiting for his signal. She pulled her pistol out, making sure everything was in order before tucking it back into her belt, letting out a puff of air in irritation; he should have been back by now.

She was just about ready to go off and look for him when she noticed a light blink on and off twice. "There," she thought with a sigh of relief, scanning her surrounding area before moving with the shadows as she advanced towards the bushes. "Everything ok?" She asked in a low voice once she was crouched beside him.

"Yeah," he whispered back, readjusted the quiver slung across his back. "They have two guards stationed at every entrance, since this is there big meeting night. I don't want to kill them- for one they are on our side, but they are also innocent. Which is why I have these," he reached over his shoulder and pulled out two arrows. The were unlike the rest of his arrows: the feathers on the end were a deep green, the tip a shiny bronze color. The shaft was clear and plastic, a clear liquid sloshing inside "These contain a sleeping serum- when they are shot the poison will be injected into their system. It will give us a few hours and won't hurt them."

"Just be sure not to nick yourself with one," she smirked at him.

"One time. One time I put myself to sleep and I can never live it down."

"Only because I had to drag your ass out of the middle of German drug dealers base," she grinned.

"Oh,whatever, I helped a little."

"Yeah, you did. They thought I had knocked your ass out so they assumed I turned on you," her smile grew he groaned.

"Enough about me! Focus," he said, notching an arrow and creeping towards the cover of the next tree. Natasha double checked the silencer on her pistol, just in case, and followed him, keeping low and moving with the shadows. They made it to cover and Clint pointed to the entrance. It was an fire exit guarded by two burly men.

Clint took a deep breath, drawing his shoulders together and the arrow slid back without a sound. His eyes narrowed as he studied the mans foot until it filled his mind, then he let the arrow fly. It hit its mark, sinking into the mans foot. He fired the second within a few seconds and both men dropped soundlessly, confused expressions on their face.

"Alright, let's move up."

"Ok," Natasha drew her pistol and was about to step into the small circle of light when a branch cracked behind them. She whipped around, finding herself face to face with Steve and nearly dropped her gun.

"Drop it Barton," he said, keeping his gun aimed straight at Natasha forehead. "I don't want to hurt her."

"Knock it off Rogers, she isn't the one you want," Clint slowly laid the bow at his feet, shrugging the quiver of arrows off and tossing them aside before holding his hands up.

"What the hell Clint," Natasha began but he sent her a look that silenced her.

"Now your gun," Steve nodded at Natasha. She shot daggers at him as she tossed it into the darkness. "Other gun," he frowned. She rolled her eyes before reaching down to pull the gun from thigh and tossed it aside as well. "And the knife."

"Ass," she glared at him, reaching into her boot and hurling the knife into the darkness. It hit a tree with a **thunk** as it sank almost hilt deep.

"Sorry, just doing my job. You two are wanted by S.H.I.E.L.D, dead or alive. Let's keep it alive, shall we?" He couldn't help but frown as he looked at his two friends. Correction, who former friends. They were the enemy now. Steve didn't want to believe it, but an order was an order.

"Steve, He didn't do it. He was framed," Natasha started, but was silenced by another look.

"What now Rogers? Going to turn in your own friends and watch them be executed?"

"I have to turn you in."

"Then let her go, Steve," his voice was a low rumble. "She did nothing. I kidnapped her and made her help me. Don't punish her for my crimes."

"Clint," Natasha shook her head. "Don't. If he takes you he takes me."

"I told you not to do that," he shot a glare at her, his hands still on his head.

"I am afraid I am going to have to take both of you in, now get moving," he put the silenced pistol against Clint's back.

"I am afraid I can't go in," Clint said and Steve was instantly on guard, taking a defensive stance. "You see, I am actually innocent, and if you'd pull your over loyal head out of your ass for a minute and let me explain, you could see that. But since you wont," Clint cast Natasha a quick look before diving towards the ground, barreling into Steve's legs.

They landed with a muted thud in the dirt and Steve's gun skidded across the ground, landing at Natasha's feet. A year ago she would have shot him, but he was her friend and just trying to do his job, so she hurled the gun into the darkness as the two men struggled. Steve landed a solid blow to Clint's gut which made him grunt, his eyes darkening. He drew his right hand back, using all the force he could to hit Steve in the jaw.

"Damn it Steve," he grunted as he was hit in his temple, his vision going blurry temporarily. "You'll have to forgive me for this one," he frowned before throwing a right hook, catching Steve in the head. He stopped struggling as he passed out, his breathing shallowing. "He'll be fine, but for now he won't be a problem," Clint grabbed another arrow with the serum, making a small slit on Steve's arm. The liquid drained out and his breathing became slow and even as Clint replaced the arrow.

"You alright?" Natasha gently touched his temple where a whelp was already forming.

"I'm fine," he assured her as they gathered their weapons, rearming themselves. "Here," he tossed her the radio on Steve's side,making sure it was still muted, before dragging the sleeping Captain into the underbrush.

"We'd better keep moving," Natasha said after a minute and the approached the door. Clint bent over to exam the two guards he had taken out, looking for some kind of key code for the door. He frowned, finding nothing- they couldn't just force the door open and blow their cover.

"Damn," he raked a hand through his hair.

"Relax a minute, he looks pretty young," Natasha decided, scanning the mans face. With a smirk she rolled up the sleeve to his uniform and sure enough there were seven numbers hastily scribbled in ink.

"You are a genius," Clint smiled at her.

"You don't have to remind me," she said over her shoulder, punching in the security code. The door opened with a small groan and they stepped onto the metal catwalk,shutting it behind them. Below them there were various boxes and metal crates, holding various pieces of evidence, weapons, and files. They ignored them as they continued towards the next door, thankful they knew the layout of the base. Their target was the projectory room: Once inside they would put in the DVD for Fury and the other agents to see the fakes would be exposed, and that's when the fighting would begin.

Clint gently opened the door, peering around the corner before bolting across the hall and to the cover of the next doorway. Natasha soundlessly closed the door behind her before doing the same, pressing her back against him. "Remember the plan," Clint murmured. "I'll meet you at the meeting door in thirty minutes. If I am not there don't wait for me-just get out."

"Just be careful ok? I don't want to have to come look for you."

"You won't have to because you will be leaving."

"Yeah, sure," she rolled her eyes.

"Stay safe Natasha," he said in a low whisper. She smiled before turning around to kiss him deeply.

"You too," she said as she turned away, jogging off down the silent hall.

Clint smiled and took a deep breath before going the opposite way, carefully making his way around the base. The layout was basically one giant circle with various rooms to the inside of outside, depending on their types. The meeting room would be just a couple of doors down and to his left, then his target would be to the right. He passed no one, which surprised him. Fury put to much faith into his outside security.

Clint finally reached the door and gently pushed it open, revealing two oblivious men hunched in front of the control panels. Clint wordlessly injected the two and the slumped over in the seats, out cold. He slipped the dvd out of it package and carefully inserted it into the drive player, thankful for the bit of hacking he had picked up along the way. In no time the screen was playing their interrogation and the mans plans. Clint slipped into the hallway and headed across the way to the meeting door, pressing his ear against it.

"What is this?" He heard Fury bellow, then the sound of several guns being cocked. He swallowed as someone started yelling in Russian, then a shot was fired. About that time Natasha tore around the corner.

"We are clear, let's go!" She said, pulling her gun out.

Clint kicked in the door and everyone froze. His gun was pointed at the one who framed him, Natasha's on Fury, who was aiming at Pistol at both men. The other agents and mafia members were glaring at each other and Clint knew things could get bloody quite quickly.

"Hello boys," Clint smiled.

"Barton, you were an idiot to come here!" Fury snapped.

"But I am innocent, right? So no biggy. This is the guy you want," he turned to glare at the Russian.

"You are a fool," he said in a thick accent. "I should have killed you and your bitch when I had the chance."

"I am afraid you are going to regret saying that," Clint made a *tsk* and shook his head.

"You are going to die!" He bellow and Clint dropped to the ground as the sound of guns began to crack. Natasha dropped and rolled as well, coming up on one knee and taking down several of the men around the Russian traitor. Clint fired several shots at the man, one hitting him in the arm, before diving for cover as the cross fire became thicker and thicker.

"Barton! Get your ass out of here!" Fury yelled, working his way towards the door. "Avengers on me!" He yelled into his mic piece, bolting out the door, Clint and Natasha on his heels.

"Steve won't be much help," Clint informed him, ducking inside a doorway as a bullet whizzed beside his head. He yanked Natasha in beisde him, baring the door with the nearby desk. "We'll hold up in here."

"Tony and Bruce should be here soon," Fury informed them, reloading his pistol. Someone tried the doorknob and started yelling in Russian and Fury didn't hesitate before firing several shots through the wood. Natasha heard someone hit the ground and she slumped against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

"Tasha, a little help," Clint managed with a grunt as he sat against the wall, his arm clasped to his collarbone.

"What's wrong?"

He removed his hand and the blood began to flow from the hole just below his collarbone, soaking his shirt with blood. "Might've got a little scratch."

"My god Clint!" She ran over to his side, yanking her shirt off and pressing it to the wound. He smiled slightly as he examined the small black tank top and she glared at him. "You were just shot and you still have time to stare at me?"

"I'll always have time for you," he chuckled weakly, letting his head fall back against the wall as she kept the pressure steady. "Fury, he is going to need help."

"I am working on it."

"Clint, you hang in there, you hear me?"

"Natasha..." He said weakly, his head sagging.

"Barton," she said more firmly. "Don't you do this to me!"

"Tash..I love you," he said in a low voice meant only for her ears. His eyes slid shut and Natasha couldn't help the tear that snaked it's way down her cheek. Was this really the end?


	8. Home

**Did anyone seriously think I'd kill Clint off? Sooo not happening x) Enjoy. This will be a shorter chapter, and then the story will wrap up in the next two.  
**

Fury stood in temporary shock, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound came out. He couldn't believe the sight before him. Clint was lying on the ground, his breathing choppy and shallow. His eyes had slid closed as he passed out and Natasha was still bent over him, her hands pressed to the wound near his shoulder. Blood seeped between her fingers, mixing with the trails of tears that had fallen from her face, and that was what threw him off. Natasha Romanoff, the fearless,emotionless,heartless assassin was crying; not only was she crying, she was crying over Clint Barton. How in the hell had he missed that?

Pounding outside the door snapped him back to reality and he pulled his pistol aiming it at the door. "Who's there?"

"It's Stark! Let me in!"

Fury pushed the desk aside, letting the door fall open and Tony entered the room, fully armed in his suit. The men outside the door laid against the far wall tied up and groaning from various injuries. "What's the deal? Woah!" He noticed the other two agents, turning his beam on them.

"Hey! Tin Head, knock it off!" Fury barked, kicking his iron leg.

"But they are wanted!"

"Not anymore you pinhead. Barton was framed by that Russian guy. We need to get him help, now!"

"Right," Tony frowned inside his suit, walking over to where he laid. "Move over Natasha."

"I swear to God Tony, if you hurt him," she glared at him through her tears.

"I won't," he said softly, hiding his shock at the tears. "I'll get him down to the med lab and Banner. He should be done securing the rest of these wackos by now," he chuckled before frowning. "Let's go Barton," he heaved the unconscious assassin over his shoulder.

"I'm going with you," Natasha didn't even bother picking up her pistol and walked to Starks' side, giving Clint one last worried look.

"I am going to sort out this whole mess," Fury sighed. "Let me know how he does."

.

.

Bruce ran a hand through his hair after stripping off the latex gloves, tossing the bloodied things into the garbage. He sighed before tossing the scrubs into the laundry basket, grabbing his glasses and heading back to where Clint lay. Natasha in the chair beside Clint's hospital bed, her head drooping as she dozed. Clint had needed thirty stitches, counting the inside work Bruce had had to stitch up. The bullet had lodged itself just below his collarbone, but thankfully it missed anything vital.

"Sorry," Bruce gave her an apologetic smile as he accidentally bumped her chair while checking Clint's pulse.

"You are fine," she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "Will he be ok?"

"He'll be fine after a few weeks of rest. It missed anything vital, just tore through some skin and muscle. I was able to pull the bullet out and stitch him up just fine."

"Thanks Bruce," she sighed in relief.

"Don't mention it. I'm glad to hear you two are off the hook, I couldn't believe it," he shook his head.

"How is Steve?" She asked a bit sheepishly.

"Oh, he is fine. Complaining about how no one can ever get their facts straight and how he wants to leave the hospital wing, but he is fine. Tony's already visited him and gave him a hard time," he chuckled.

"Sounds like the Stark thing to do," Natasha smiled slightly before yawning.

"I am going to grab some dinner- it is pretty late. Want anything?"

"Um, sure." She shrugged. "I don't care what."

"I'll grab the usual," he smiled. "Give me a call if he wakes up, I'll be back soon."

Natasha sighed after he left, flopping back into her chair. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall and taking a deep breath. She knew she would catch some heat from Tony later about her crying, but at the moment she didn't care. Seeing him passed out had pretty much knocked the wind out of her and she felt like the whole world had shifted. If he had died...She took a shakey breath and couldn't stop the tear that escaped and worked it's way down her cheek.

"Hey," her head shot up as Clint croaked the one word, groaning as he peeled his eyes open.

"Thank God," she muttered before reaching over to grab his hand. "Hey there," she smiled.

"You alright?" He asked, his voice rough from lack of use.

"Am I alright? You were shot, and you ask me if I am alright?" She raised an eyebrow and he just stared at her. "I am fine," She finally said.

"Good," he gave her a small smile before sighing. "How long do I have to stay in this hell hole?"

"Won't know until Bruce get's back," she shrugged. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got shot," he said with a smirk.

"Oh, shut up," she punched his good arm before sighing. "You scared me Clint."

"Sorry, Tasha," he kissed her hand with a sigh. "Come here," he scooted over and patted the empty space on the bed. She crawled in beside him, careful not to hit his shoulder, and wrapped an arm around his waist, lying her head beside his.

"Don't do that to me again, ok?" She asked softly, kissing him softly.

"I'll try," he smiled before kissing her once more.

. . . . .

"Home at last," Clint let out a long groan as he dropped to the couch with a yawn, careful not to jostle his arm that was still in a sling.

"I take it you are glad to be home?" Natasha smiled, dropping their bags in closet and joining him on the couch.

"Extremely. Four days in that hospital bed was way to much," he smiled, snaking an arm around Natasha's waist. "It is also nice to be able to rest without having to worry about someone busting the door down," he chuckled.

"True. I can't believe Fury let me have time off with you," she shook her head.

"Only because he knows you are head over heels for me," he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, stop it," she grabbed a pillow and hit him in the face.

"Don't think I can," he used his free hand tickle her sides, making her squirm and trying to get away from him.

"Knock it off," she finally laughed, scooting out of his reach.

"Aww, way to ruin my fun," he pouted.

"You'll live," she smiled before stretching out, lying her head in his lap. "I love you."

Clint smiled, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear and kissing her temple. "I love you too. Even if you are a buzz kill."

"Poor little baby," she grinned. "I am going to take a nap."

"So you think," he grinned impishly, bending down to kiss her one more.

Natasha wasn't sure what he had up his sleeve, but she doubted she'd be getting much sleep.


	9. Our Story

**One last chapter after this one :3 It will be a set a few years later and contains a surprise. I MIGHT delete the chapter and post a different ending if it doesn't get the reactions I am hoping for..But this is the main wrap up here. Enjoy! And please drop a review :)**

Natasha groaned as she felt the bed shift, rolling over and pulling the blanket over her head. Clint smirked as he tugged it away, tossing it out of her reach and bending down to press a kiss to her lips.

"Rise and shine sleeping beauty."

"I hate you," she grumbled, rolling over on her stomach and hiding her face in her arms.

"Not my fault you stayed up all night partying," he teased, giving her leg a playful tug.

"I did not stay up all night. _You_ kept me up."

"Not my fault you can't resist the Barton charm," he grinned, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh whatever," she said finally, rolling over on her back and glaring at him. "Happy now?"

"Not quite," he gave her an impish smile before tickling her sides, causing her to squirm.

"Get off," she managed, sliding away from him and straight onto the floor. Clint burst out into laughter as she groaned, still sprawled out on the floor. She slowly sat up and glared at him, pulling a ball of dust from her hair and wrinkling her nose. He smiled at her before offering her a hand, raising an eyebrow. "I don't need your help. This is your fault."

"How is it my fault you refused to get up? I had to play dirty," he smiled as she finally grabbed his hand. He pulled her to her feet and against his chest, wrapping his arms around her.

"It just is. Everything is your fault. Learn that and we will be fine," she smiled at him before reaching up to kiss him gently. "Good morning, by the way."

"A good morning indeed," he grinned, turning her loose. "Now hurry up or we are going to be late!"

"It is just IHop, Clint. Not a board meeting!"

"Food is food woman!"

"Whatever," she shook her head, hiding a smile as she grabbed a towel and some clothes. She started towards the bathroom and as she passed him he reached out, swatting her on the butt. "Barton!" She jumped, spinning around to narrow her eyes.

"What?" He smiled innocently, grabbing a pair of jeans from the closet. "I didn't do anything."

"I am going to have to get on to you," she titled her head with a mischievous smile.

"I think I like the sound of that," he slowly grinned.

"You are such a guy," she rolled her eyes before shutting the door and he chuckled, stripping his shorts off.

"I'll have to plead guilty," he called through the door, pulling on his jeans. It was going to be a fun day.

.

.

Natasha waited patiently as Clint slid out of the car, grabbing his wallet and locking the doors before walking around the car to join her. He laced an arm around her waist and they started their walk across the parking lot, worry gnawing at Clint's gut. He wasn't sure if the team would be willing to forget everything that had happened, particularly Steve- there might be some hard feeling there. Natasha raised an eyebrow as he sighed, but he just shook his head, holding the door open for her as they walked inside. A few heads turned their way but the costumers soon went back to eating. Clint scanned the crowd until he saw, well, heard, Tony's loud mouth from the back of the restaurant.

"There they are! About time!" Tony waved at them from a booth in the back corner, a devilish grin spreading across his face.

"Finally, I thought I was going to starve," Bruce chuckled, grinning at them as the walked over.

"Long time no see," Pepper smiled at Natasha. "I heard you saved his ass, again?" She asked as they slid into the booth.

"That's how it usually goes," Natasha laughed, winking at Clint.

"Hey," Steve said a bit sheepishly, clearing his throat. "Sorry for uh, you know...being an ass," he mumbled.

"No hard feelings," Clint shrugged, reaching across the table to punch him in the arm. "It's nice to be able to sit down at a table without being ambushed," he chuckled.

"So, you two were alone for quite a while huh? Any juicy details?" Tony began and Natasha groaned, dropping her head to the table.

"Come off it Tony," Pepper nudged him in the side before leaning forward. "But I do want to hear the story! The whole thing!"

"I don't know..."

"Yeah, come on," Tony pouted. "You go off on some super spy adventure and you won't even share?"

"I wouldn't mind hearing this myself," Bruce smiled at her.

"Please, I am sure Tony wants to hear about me getting my ass whipped," Steve smiled.

"I am so out numbered," she groaned. "Fine..It all started after we were put on lock down. Clint shows up at my door, covered in blood and looking like hell..."

.

.

"Wow," Tony sat back against the booth, finishing off his coffee. "I am impressed," he chuckled.

"You wouldn't have really given up, would you?" Pepper turned to Clint. He shrugged, sighing a bit.

"I didn't want her to get hurt."

"How cute," Tony smirked. "Sounds like she has you in check though."

"What was that?" Natasha raised an eyebrow, aiming a glare his way.

"Nothing," Tony coughed, suddenly occupied with the last bit of food on his plate. Pepper giggled, rolling her eyes.

"So what happened next?" Bruce asked after swallowing.

"Well, I knew 'Tasha would never forgive me if I actually gave up, so I waited for a chance then took it. I was able to overpower Steve and knock him out, sorry about that," he added with a grin.

"You did what you had to," Steve shrugged.

"So with Flag boy out of the way we were able to get inside. Natasha drew the attention of anyone left in the halls, and I went for the kill so to speak. I got the DVD in, then booked it to the meeting room. She met me right on time, then Fury started yelling. After that all hell broke loose and somewhere along the way I got shot. They managed to get me down the hallway to a safer place, then we waited until you guys showed up to save our asses," he chuckled. "And you know the rest from there."

"Sounds like you two had quite the adventure," Pepper laughed. "I am almost glad I get to stay at home now," she wrinkled her nose. "But it would be nice to be able to keep an eye on Tony."

"Oh please, I don't need to be babysat. I am always on my perfect behavior, right guys?" He gave them a wide smile.

"NO," They all chorused at once and he dropped his head against the table and groaned.

"Traitors."

"You know it," Clint chuckled, pushing his plate aside with a groan. "I am so full."

"Wait, please tell me someone got that on camera," Natasha frowned. "I've never heard those words come out of your mouth before."

"Are you calling me fat?" He arched an eyebrow.

"Maybe," she smirked, playfully swatting his stomach. "After all, all you do is lie around all day."

"Yeah, I wish," he snorted, earning a chuckle from Bruce.

"Well guys, I've had fun, But I need to take care of some things back home," Pepper yawned, stretching. "Plus Tony is cleaning out the attic today, _right_?"

"Yes dear," he rolled his eyes, tossing a wad of bills on the table for their waiter. "It's been fun guys. Glad to have you two back."

"Thanks," Clint chuckled, standing up and stretching.

"See you around," Bruce nodded to them before shoving his hands in his pockets, heading for his car.

"Guess I'd better hit the gym," Steve sighed.

"We have GOT to get you a girlfriend," Tony groaned. "Otherwise you are going to start dating one of those damned punching bags."

"I don't want a girlfriend," Steve protested.

"You do, you just don't know it," Steve smirked. "I have a plan...Come on Pepper, we need to get home."

"Pepper, please stop him," Steve groaned.

"Sorry," she smiled. "I'll see you guys later," she waved, then they were gone.

"Don't mind Stark- he is always butting into everyone's love life," Clint assured him with a chuckle.

"I know," Steve sighed. "I'll see you guys later," he waved before hoping onto his motorcycle, kicking it to life.

"So what are we going to do now?" Natasha looked up at Clint.

"I figured we could catch a movie, just hang out for a while."

"You asking me out Barton?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Uh, yeah," he swallowed nervously.

"Good," She smiled, nudging him playfully. "You are far to nervous sometimes."

"I am not nervous!" He protested.

"Oh please, you looked like I was about to kill your dog or something," she laughed, sliding into the car.

"Look, it isn't my fault you leave my brain feeling mushy," he teased with a smile.

"Love will do that to you," she smiled before leaning over to kiss him, her hand resting on the back of his neck.

"That it will," Clint agreed with a sigh. Things were going to be just fine.

**Shorter chapter and not my best, but I really wanted to get to this last chapter. Thanks!**


	10. Perfect

**Well guys, here it is. The last chapter. This is set about 5 years later. I really need the reviews for this chapter- If it doesn't get the reactions I am hoping for I am taking the entire story down and redoing this chapter, so I really need the feedback on this one, ok? Thanks for sticking with me through this little adventure and I hoped you enjoyed it. Now here you go!  
**

Clint yawned as he leaned against the wall, the elevator slowly making it's climb upwards. His bag was slung over his shoulder feeling like it contained a bunch of bowling bowls. He hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days and he was more than ready to be home. He groaned as the elevator lurched to a stop and he stepped off, stretching. He silently moved down the hallway, careful not to make any noise- a glance at his watch had told him it was well past midnight.

He arrived at the second to last door in the hall and shouldered his bag, pulling his key from his pocket. He unlocked the door to the loft and pushed it open, stepping inside. He dropped his bag right inside the door, re-locking the door and flipping on a lamp. He was about to pick his bag up when a blur tackled his legs, sending him stumbling towards the wall.

"Daddy!" The boy squealed, hugging his legs.

"Easy there bud," Clint chuckled, sweeping the boy up in his arms and propping him on his hip. "What are you doing up?"

"I waited till you came home," he grinned, his blue eyes bright.

"You should be in bed bud. It is late."

"I missed you though."

"Guess what?"

"What?" The four year old wrinkled his nose.

"I missed you too," Clint smiled before pressing a kiss to his blond hair, sitting him on the floor once more. "Where's your momma?"

"Sleeping...she thought I was sleeping too," he giggled and Clint chuckled, shaking his head.

"Sneaky little bugger. Come on." Together they walked down the hallway to Clint's room and he pushed the door open. Toby scrambled onto the bed and up towards the top, looking up at Clint.

"She's sleeping," he whispered.

"We will just have to wake her up then," he whispered back before bending down to press a kiss to her lips.

"Ewy," Toby covered his eyes, making Clint chuckle.

Natasha let out a content sigh before peeling her eyes open, a smile spreading across her face. "Welcome home."

"Miss me?" Clint grinned, sitting down beside her. She sat up with a yawn, stretching before crossing her legs.

"Maybe a little," She smiled.

"I missed you lots!"

"Tobias Barton, what in the world are you doing up?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I was waiting for daddy," he said, tucking his chin and giving her his best puppy dog look.

"You were supposed to be asleep," she frowned, pulling him into her lap. "I don't like it when you are up by yourself, you could get hurt."

"Sorry mommy," he said sheepishly, lying his head against her chest. "I love you."

"I love you too," she smiled, giving him a squeeze. "Everything go ok?" She looked up at Clint.

"Yeah, perfectly fine. Four days seemed like a week though," he chuckled.

"I know how that goes," Natasha sighed. "Come on Toby, let's get you to bed."

"But I'm not tired," he protested, his eye lids drooping.

"I can tell," she smiled, picking him up and carrying him down the hall, Clint on her heels. He pushed the door open to the boys room, letting them enter first.

The blue walls were covered in posters of various animals and dinosaurs, the floor littered with various toys. Natasha laid Toby down, pulling the Buzz Lighter blanket up around his shoulders. Clint handed him the stuffed tiger he always slept with, smiling as the boy tucked it by his side.

"Night Toby," Natasha pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I love you."

"Love you too," he said sleepily.

"Night bud," Clint kissed his forehead.

"Night," he mumbled before turning over on his side, wrapping his arm around the tiger. Clint made sure his Scooby-Doo nightlight was still on before quietly shutting the door behind him.

He barely had time to turn around before Natasha had him pressed against the wall, her mouth on his. He chuckled softly, dropping his arms to her waist and kissing her back, his skin crawling as she ran her fingers along his scalp.

"We missed you," she murmured, kissing him again.

"I missed you too," he smiled, pulling her into a tight hug. "Not too much longer, then I won't be going anywhere."

"Good, because you already have a lot of time to make up for," she grinned at him before walking towards their room, her hips swaying more than usual. Clint just chuckled, shaking his head as he followed her. Suddenly he didn't feel all that tired.

.

.

Natasha's brain seemed to switch on as she felt the bed dip then began to rock. She opened her eyes to find Toby crawling towards her, his tiger still tucked under his arm. A quick glance told her that they had at least remembered to redress themselves, so she pulled the blanket back, letting Toby crawl in beside her. She tucked it back around them, smiling as he laid his head on her chest with a yawn.

"What are you doing up buddy?" She asked quietly, not wanting to wake Clint.

"I dunno," he yawned, rubbing his eyes.

"It's awfully early," she brushed his hair from his forehead. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No, I never have bad dreams," he giggled softly. "You and daddy chase them away."

"Well I am glad," she smiled, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "You want some breakfast?"

"Nuh huh," he shook his head, sinking lower so that he stretched out, his head beside her and his legs sprawled across Clint's arms.

"Why don't you go back to sleep buddy?" She said softly, rubbing his arm as she watched his lids droop.

"Kay," he mumbled, closing his eyes and wrapping one hand around hers. She smiled, continuing to rub his arm and let the image before her burn into her mind. A few years ago she would have laughed if someone said she'd be with Clint. She would have called them crazy if they said she would have a kid. Yet here she was, married and a mother. Clint had bugged her for months before she finally gave in and said yes, much to his delight- he had just about given up on getting her to marry him.

A few months later she had found out she pregnant and Clint went into panic mode. He watched her every move, constantly bugging her about her needs and wants. It was sweet, but slightly insane. The memory made her smile and she sighed, shaking her head. When Toby turned one Pepper offered to watch him so Natasha could return to work, but she just couldn't do it. Somewhere along the road she had lost the desire to throw herself into danger. Clint returned, but his missions were becoming less and less frequent. At the end of the summer he planned on retiring all together, just in time for Toby to start Pre-School.

"When did he get here?" Clint asked in a quiet, sleepy voice as he watched her.

"A few minutes ago," she smiled. "He usually crawls in with me when you are gone during the night."

"I see," he smiled, folding an arm over Toby's legs. "He sure takes up a lot of room for such a little guy."

"I have to agree with that," she laughed quietly, stifling a yawn.

"What time is it?"

"Six."

"I am going back to sleep then," he chuckled.

"Me too. He'll probably be out for another couple of hours."

"Good," Clint yawned, his free hand reaching out to grab hers. "Love you."

"I love you too," she smiled, closing her own eyes once more. She thought back to that day a few years ago when Clint had showed up at her door and sighed. If she had turned him away things would have turned out so differently...They had been running out of time, running down two separate paths. But fate had decided to give them a second chance and put one more fork in the roads and somehow they had managed to work everything out. Now they had all the time in the world. She opened her eyes once more, smiling as Toby shifted to lay his head on her chest again. She wasn't sure what exactly defined perfect, but she was willing to bet this was as close as she would ever be.

**So, what did you think? Keep or delete? Drop a review and thanks for reading!**


	11. Goodbye

**Thanks for all the reviews and reads guys! I really enjoyed writing this one and thank you for sticking with me throughout their little journey. The last chapter is going to be left alone;apparently Toby is a pretty popular kid. If you want a better description of him feel free to shoot me a message. I am currently working on another story that he will feature in again, so keep an eye out for that one. Thank you for your feedback.**

**Until next time-  
**

**Sarah  
**


End file.
